Clip jewelry



May 2 1, 1946. YJEILLINEK CLIP J WELRY Filed Oct. 4, 1944 E M i o n T Nd Ym wJ /m ms A 1 against the rear face Patented May 21, 1946 UNITED"' STATES PATENT OFFICE. 2 ,400,513 i our JEWELRYU' I Markus .lellinek, Lai'hmont, Y. Application October 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,084; f

4 Claims. (cries-.14)

The present invention relates to clip jewelry and more especially to earring clips.

As conducive to' a clear understanding of the invention, it is noted that the conventional screw type of earring clip is inherently devoid of resiliency, so that the wearer has no real assurance that the clip is secure, unless the grip be tightened to such extent as to cause discomfort. While the spring jaw type of clip does afford a resilient mount, it does not admit of ready adjustment by the wearer to suit the thickness of the ear lobe, and moreover, as the clip loses resiliency the earring isapt to become loose and to be lost.

It is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide an article of clip jewelry, more especially an earring, which combines the advantages of the adjustable screw clip with those of the resilient spring clip and avoids the disadvantages of each of said types of clip, viz. the awkwardness and time consumption in adjusting the former and the lack of adjustability and likelihood of loss in use of the latter, and which at the same time appeals to the preferences of the user of each of these types of clip.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a rear face View of an earring showing the improvement;

Fig. 2 is a view in transverse cross section taken I on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the clip in closed position; i

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the clip in open position, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail.

Referring now to the drawing, the ornamental earring body or face I of any suitable design, has a lug ll upon the rear at the lower end thereof which may be unitary therewith, or if desired welded or brazed thereto. The lug is in the shape of an inverted T, with the edge of its head l2 of the body and the width of its head, as well as its stem l3, at right angles to the face l0. Through the width of stem [3 extends a pintle pin M of length equal to the width of said lug I l, desirably aflixed thereon with ends l5 and I6 protruding therefrom. A clip jaw ll of sheet metal and of the width of said lug has eyes [8 and I9 at the sides of the hinge end thereof, which encompass'the protruding pin ends I 5 and I6, respectively. The slits determining the eyes of the jaw member are extended at 2!] and 2|, respectively, to afford the median tongue 22,

which in open position of the clip engages the outer face 23 of lug H, and in closed position enbetween the eyes gages the extremity or top 24 of the lug. As of the T lug H which extends l8 and I9 rises beyond said eyes, so that in the process of closing the clip, the median tongue 22 is substantially deflected. The clipjaw ll, being of springy metal, such as plated hard brass, the deflected tongue 22 is substantially tensioned and therefore resiliently biased toward gripping position against the face member, as best shown in Fig. 2, once the jaw has been pivoted past dead center.

Upon theouter part of the spring jaw I1 is rigidly affixed as, for instance, by spot welding, an outwardly extending metal bushing 25. Through this bushing is threaded the screw shank 26 which is double headed, disk 21' forming the ear lobe engaging gripper at the inner end thereof and disk 28 which is spot welded upon the outer end of the shank forming the adjustment screw head.

It will be seen that the earring is applied with the facility of an ordinary spring clip and also admits of final adjustment in the manner, figuratively speaking, of a Vernier adjustment, by slight manipulation of the screw-head, usually through a, fraction of a turn, either to tighten or to loosen the jaw for both security and comfort.

Unlike the ordinary clip, as the spring tongue 22 loses resiliency after prolonged use, the clip does not become valueless, because screw head 28, may be adjusted to any desired or required extent for adequate security of mount.

The lobe gripper disk 21 may be adjusted to position engaging the sheet metal jaw ll, which position is suitable for a thick ear lobe and a strong spring tongue 22. The adjustment of the screw may be precisely effected for adaptation to the ear lobe to effect uniform security and comfort regardless of the ear lobe dimensions of shown, the stem iii the wearer and regardless of the weakening of the spring 22.

As many changes could be made in the above article and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. article of clip jewelry comprising a face member, a jaw member of spring metal co-acting with said face member, means for biasing the same toward gripping position, and an adjustable screw member mounted near'the free end 3. An earring clip comprising a face member,

a lug rising from the rear face thereof having a pintle pin across the width thereof and with protruding ends, a jaw member of springy sheet metal, having eyes about said protruding ends, said jaw having a median tongue near the lower end thereof, engaged and tensioned by said lug for biasing the jaw to gripping position, a threaded bushing. rigidwith the free end of said jaw member and at the outer face thereof, and a threaded pin through said bushing having a finger operated disk at the outer face thereof and a lobe gripping disk at the inner face thereof.

4. An earring clip comprising a face member, a T lug rising from the lower end of the rear face thereof with the edge of its head engaging said face and it stem rising therefrom, a pintle' pin through said stem having its ends protruding laterally therebeyond and parallel to said head, a jaw member of springy sheet metal having eyes about said protruding ends, the stern of said lug between said eyes extending beyond said eyes, said jaw having a median tongue near the lower end thereof engaged and tensioned by the stem end of said T lug for biasing the jaw to gripping position, a threaded bushing rigid with thefree end of said jaw member and at the outer face thereof, and a threaded pin through said bushing having a finger operated disk at the outer face thereof and a lobe gripping disk at the inner face thereof.

MARKUS JELLINEK. 

